Norton man faces charges he stole parking meters in Taunton

A Norton man fitting the description of an elusive parking meter bandit was busted after cops say they caught him red-handed.

Charles Winokoor

A Norton man fitting the description of an elusive parking meter bandit was busted after cops say they caught him red-handed.

The same man, Richard E. Dunn, also faces charges that he punched a police officer who was called to Dunn’s home on June 2 as fire engulfed it.

Taunton police said they got a call just after 3 a.m. Wednesday that a man was stealing meters in front of the Verizon office on Pleasant Street in Taunton.

They caught up with Richard Dunn, 55, a few blocks away on Court Street. Police said he had two parking meters, one of which had been snapped off at its base and the other apparently yanked out of the ground after being hit by a vehicle.

Dunn denied stealing the two municipal meters, insisting that they had come from the backyard of his house at 22 King Philip Road.

He was charged with two counts of larceny over $250.

Wednesday morning’s thefts marked the second such incident within the past three weeks, Patrolman Richard Bernier said. He said three weeks ago someone ripped out two parking meters, one on Pleasant Street and the other on Leonard Street.

Bernier said whoever has been intentionally driving their vehicle into meter poles and then snapping them off or yanking them out, probably isn’t doing it for the $15 or $20 of change in the unit’s main housing.

He also says there’s not much profit to be made selling the steel and metal to scrap-metal dealers.

It costs the city about $600 to install a new parking meter, Bernier said.

Dunn was released on $250 bail and is due back in court on Sept. 14.

Dunn and his 22-year-old son, also named Richard, were both arrested in June when Norton police say they interfered with firefighters battling a blaze at the Dunns’ house.

The elder Dunn allegedly tried going back into the burning house for his dog. Both he and his son were arrested after they allegedly punched a Norton police officer.